RAY PARLOUR and manager Steve McClaren both hope Middlesbrough's biggest UEFA Cup test so far in the El Madrigal tonight is remembered for all the right reasons.

The build up to Boro's trip to Villarreal has been overshadowed with the Teessiders being the first Premiership club to return to Spain since the race row erupted following England's international friendly eight days ago.

During Real Madrid's Champions League draw with German outfit Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday night there was more racial abuse directed towards the German side's black players by sections of the Bernabeu crowd.

All eyes will be on Villarreal's supporters tonight when Middlesbrough aim to pocket the point that will guarantee progress through to the last 32 of the competition.

And Parlour, who insists McClaren's men will not walk off if such abuse is hurled their way, has revealed his hopes of the game passing without incident off the pitch.

"The players are all great professionals and I'm sure they will all go into the game focused on the job in hand," said Parlour, whose European experience is vast from his years with Arsenal. "We all hope the crowd will be great and I'm sure they will be. If the game is good as well then everyone will have a good evening.

"It was out of order what happened last week. I think it's shocking when you here chants like that those at the Bernabeu on the terraces. In this day and age it's got be sorted out quick. Whether they ban people, ban clubs or ban countries. It needs sorting out quickly.

"None of us have spoken about the issue. Hopefully we will not speak about it afterwards either. I've been very lucky and haven't encountered anything like that in the past and I want that to continue."

Middlesbrough boss McClaren concurred and he believes the whole focus should now be turned on his team's performance rather than the racism factor.

"It's only an issue because the media are continuing to blow it up. We know it needs stamping out. We are coming to Villarreal just to concentrate on playing football. If we concentrate on the sideshow then we will be distracted and we don't want to do that. We are here to play and that's it," said McClaren.

After group stage victories over Egaleo and Lazio already, Middlesbrough are in the driving seat going into this fixture.

But Villarreal, semi-finalists last year, are one of those tipped to actually win the trophy this season and Parlour is aware of the threat.

Whether Middlesbrough book a place in the knock-out stage of the competition tonight or at the Riverside Stadium against Partizan Belgrade on December 15, the 31-year-old is convinced progress can be achieved.

As well as doing well in the UEFA Cup, Middlesbrough are also sitting a pretty fourth in the Premiership. "If we go in with the attitude that we can go far then we have every chance of doing well in this competition," he said. "It's a big game for us. Qualifying would be a big achievement for the club.

"Last season was obviously very big because Middlesbrough won the Carling Cup, but this is a very big season because we are in Europe and everyone is enjoying themselves.

"I always thought when I came here that this has all the right things to become a very successful club. Everything is going well at the moment but we all know how things can turn against us quickly.

"We are focused on making sure that doesn't happen.

"I am enjoying my time here and it's been easy for me to settle. It was always going to be easy to come from a great club to a good club and it has been. Everything at Middlesbrough is great and it's even better when we are doing well on the pitch."

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